WATCH: The Legacy Of Brotherhood: Kappa Alpha Psi

essencemagazine

We dive deep into the brotherhood of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.

Transcript

00:00 It's the brotherhood and sisterhood for Essence.

00:02 So this month we're celebrating the Divine 9 organizations.

00:06 Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi,

00:10 Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta,

00:14 Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta.

00:18 We're showing love to our staff that are Divine 9 members.

00:21 - Yo, yo, yo.

00:22 - So let's get into it

00:23 with the Smooth Brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi.

00:25 - My name is Oakland Jones,

00:26 entertainment editor here at Essence,

00:28 and I crossed spring 2012 at the Nuance Alumni Chapter

00:32 at Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity incorporated.

00:34 (upbeat music)

00:36 The reason why I decided to join KSI,

00:41 because a lot of the men that I idolized

00:45 and wanted to be like, they were all noobs.

00:47 They had this amazing balance of like masculinity.

00:50 They were strong, they were athletic,

00:53 they were good role models.

00:54 They took care of their families.

00:55 They were financially successful too,

00:57 but they were also like the best dressed men in the room too.

01:00 They were charming.

01:01 They knew how to treat women with respect

01:02 and things like that.

01:04 And all those facets,

01:05 it really encompassed the man that I wanted to be.

01:08 And also it needs to be said too, I'm a legacy.

01:11 My father, he crossed at Alpha Sigma in 1966

01:15 at Southern University.

01:16 And my uncle, he's also a noob as well too.

01:18 So I was just surrounded by these men my entire life.

01:22 And it was really part of me, you know,

01:24 even before I knew it.

01:25 My proudest moment would have been

01:28 when I called my uncle after I crossed.

01:31 It was just, he was able to share that moment with me.

01:33 My father's no longer living,

01:34 so I wasn't able to call him,

01:36 but my uncle is like a father figure to me.

01:38 And being able to share certain experiences

01:41 and, you know, for us to kind of go through the same things

01:44 and for me to have the opportunity to call him a brother,

01:47 that really meant and it really means a lot to me.

01:50 I think these organizations are necessary in 2024

01:53 because similar to the question,

01:55 there's a lot of history behind them.

01:57 You know, and like with us in 1911

02:00 and I'm America's South Fire the same year,

02:03 the AKAs, 1908, Delta Sigma Theta, 1913.

02:06 Like back then we didn't have a lot in this country too.

02:10 So those sororities, fraternities,

02:11 they gave like young black men and women

02:14 who were pursuing higher education

02:16 like an additional sense of purpose.

02:18 And I think it carries on to that day too.

02:20 And it can create like inspiration.

02:24 You seeing people that are like-minded,

02:26 that are successful, that are ambitious,

02:28 that are goal-oriented.

02:29 It can push you to achieve more too

02:32 just because you're around it.

02:33 And I think too, just the representation.

02:36 Like we are beautiful, we're intelligent, we're leaders.

02:40 And I think those Divine Nine sororities and frats,

02:44 they're like symbolic of the resilience of our culture too.

02:48 You know, no matter what the obstacle

02:49 we can get through it 'cause pressure makes diamonds.

02:52 My line brothers and I,

02:53 we don't see each other in person

02:57 as much as I would like, you know,

02:59 especially with the pandemic.

03:00 I'm in Atlanta, one is in DC, one is in California,

03:03 the other is in Texas too.

03:05 And there, you know,

03:06 two of them are starting families and everything too.

03:08 So it's getting more difficult.

03:10 We still speak often, but I haven't,

03:12 I don't see them as much as I would like.

03:15 And you know, we shared so many experiences

03:18 and we've been through so much,

03:20 you know, we'll always be brothers

03:21 and we have an unbreakable bond,

03:23 but you know, I would like to see them more

03:25 than I have in recent years.

03:27 A fraternity brother that I am proud

03:31 to be in the same organization with is definitely my father.

03:35 He's no longer with us,

03:36 but he was my number one role model.

03:39 He was the first African-American district attorney

03:42 in the city of New Orleans.

03:44 He was a federal judge appointed by Bill Clinton.

03:47 And he came from a really, really small town.

03:49 And what he was able to do

03:51 with the costs that he was dealt is very inspiring.

03:55 And I, you know, try to walk in his footsteps.

03:57 And if I can be just half the man that he was,

03:59 I think I lived a great life.

04:01 One celebrity that I'm happy to be attached to

04:04 and that was a part of Kappa Alpha Psi

04:06 would happen to be Ralph Abernathy.

04:09 He's a notable figure.

04:11 He walked with Dr. King

04:12 and he was a pivotal part of the movement.

04:15 And I just think that's inspiring, you know,

04:17 and like most Greek organizations,

04:19 too, we had a hand in the civil rights movement.

04:22 And that's very, very proud to be a part of that.

04:24 The common misconception that people have

04:27 about the Divine Nine is that it's all fun and games.

04:31 I think, you know, people see the parties,

04:33 they see the step shows and all that,

04:35 which is definitely a part of it.

04:36 But a lot of people don't see,

04:39 and it's not highlighted as much like the volunteer work,

04:42 the days of service, the mentorship programs,

04:45 the college and career fairs, the fundraisers,

04:48 you know, things like that.

04:50 And I really believe, my mother told me this, too,

04:52 she's a Delta, she would tell me that

04:55 college is where your fraternity journey may start,

04:59 but after you graduate is when the work really begins, too.

05:02 And that's, I learned that when I graduated, too,

05:04 'cause you really get a chance to see

05:06 the beauty of the brotherhood

05:07 and the beauty of the sisterhood.

05:09 And, you know, I see the reason

05:11 why we hold these organizations so close to our hearts,

05:13 you know, 'cause it's given us so much

05:15 and it's allowed us to give so much to others, too.

05:17 (upbeat music)

05:20 (upbeat music)

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